(1935-2025)
Professor José Paulo Stupiello graduated in Agricultural Engineering from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture – ESALQ/University of São Paulo (USP), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, in 1961. He earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Agronomy – Food Science and Technology, specializing in Sugar and Alcohol Technology, from the University of São Paulo in 1968. He dedicated his academic and professional life to improving the production of high-quality raw materials and advancing the industrial processes for sugar and ethanol manufacturing, making decisive contributions to the scientific and technological progress of Brazil’s sugarcane and bioenergy sector.
At ESALQ/USP, Professor Stupiello taught undergraduate courses in Sugar Technology, Alcohol Technology, Engineering Applied to Sugar Mills and Distilleries, Chemical Control of Sugar Mills and Distilleries, and Total Quality of Raw Material (Sugarcane). At the graduate level, he taught Technology of Sugar, Alcohol, and By-products, mentoring and inspiring generations of engineers and researchers. He retired as a professor from the institution, leaving a legacy of competence, integrity, and dedication to the education of professionals in the sugar-energy industry. Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Stupiello authored over 120 technical papers, books, and manuals, delivered more than 200 lectures, and participated in over 160 national and international conferences, serving as president, vice-president, or organizing committee member. As a technical consultant, he provided services to more than one hundred sugar mills and distilleries in Brazil and abroad, as well as to government agencies and research institutes, contributing to improved industrial efficiency and the implementation of total quality programs. He also served as Director of CONTAL – Technical Consulting in Sugar and Alcohol, a firm recognized for its specialized expertise.
He served as a scientific consultant for the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB). At Copersucar, he held the position of Head of the Division of Studies and Research at the Technology Center, where he played a key role in the implementation and consolidation of the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool), launched in 1975—an initiative that marked a milestone in the development of biofuels in Brazil.
In the institutional sphere, José Paulo Stupiello held several prominent positions, including:
- National President of the Society of Sugar and Alcohol Technicians of Brazil (STAB), of which he was a founding member, established on July 18, 1963;
- President of the Asociación Técnicos de la Agroindustria de la Caña de Azúcar de Latinoamérica y del Caribe (ATALAC);
- Technical Editor of the journals STAB – Sugar, Alcohol and By-products and Saccharum;
- Member of the Sugarcane Sectorial Chambers of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and the São Paulo State Secretariat for Agriculture and Supply;
- Member of the Alcohol Commission of the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum (IBP);
- Secretary-Treasurer of the XX International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) Congress held in Brazil in 1989 and Vice-President of the ISSCT XXII Congress held in Colombia in 1995.
During his leadership at STAB, Professor Stupiello was responsible for the modernization and strengthening of STAB and Saccharum journals, consolidating them as major platforms for technical and scientific dissemination in the sugar-energy sector. He also organized numerous national and international events of great significance, fostering knowledge exchange and technological innovation in the sugarcane agroindustry.
With profound sorrow, we announce José Paulo Stupiello’s passing on August 30, 2025. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, dedication, and unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge and strengthening the sugarcane agroindustry in Brazil and worldwide. His exemplary career will continue to inspire professionals, researchers, and institutions who share his vision of technical progress united with scientific responsibility.
Prof. Monalisa S. Carneiro
Chair ISSCT Executive Committee